Foreverland, an Italian food ingredients company developing chocolate alternatives, has opened its first production facility in Puglia, Southern Italy. 

The facility will produce more than 500 tonnes of Choruba, the company’s flagship ingredient, per year. Choruba, is a cocoa-free chocolate alternative made from resilient Mediterranean crops, such as carob, pumpkin seeds and chickpeas. It delivers the same indulgent flavor and mouthfeel as chocolate with a lighter environmental footprint, addressing both consumer expectations for indulgence and the urgent sustainability challenges facing the cocoa sector. 

The facility provides Foreverland with the capability to run industrial trials with larger clients, secure small and medium-sized business customers, and deliver a scalable supply of cocoa-free chocolate alternatives. A dedicated pilot fermentation room sits alongside the facility, enabling the team to test and refine processing steps flexibly, while protecting know-how and validating unit economics.

Alongside unveiling the new plant, Foreverland has also begun its fourth food retail partnership. Teaming up with Italian protein Innovators Small Giants, the duo launched Choruba Protein Bites — peanut butter and chocolate-flavored snacks, produced using Small Giants’ yeast-based protein and coated with Foreverland’s cocoa-free chocolate alternative, Choruba. Priced at €3.29 ($3.83) a three-pack or €1.99 ($2.31) for a single bar, the vegan, high-protein snacks are available to purchase online and in-store across the Gulliver supermarket chain.

“The launch of our Puglia facility marks the moment Foreverland moves from pilot projects to full-scale production,” says Massimo Sabatini, co-founder and CEO of Foreverland. “The new plant allows us to work hand-in-hand with manufacturers, speed up recipe development and bring sustainable chocolate alternatives into everyday products across Europe — all while ensuring we can meet demand at accessible price points. Our partnership with Small Giants is a strong example of this next phase, showing how sustainable chocolate alternatives are ready for the mainstream.”

Looking ahead, Foreverland is in discussions to expand into France and the Nordics, building on its presence in Italy and Germany.